Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developer.box.com/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
The Box MCP server provides tools that let AI agents interact with Box content and features. Tools are organized by category so you can quickly find the right capabilities for your scenario.
User and authentication
Manage user authentication and retrieve information about the authenticated user.
| Tool | Description |
|---|
who_am_i | Returns detailed information about the currently authenticated Box user. |
Files and folders
Access, manage, and modify Box file and folder resources. These tools give you control over content, metadata, and versioning.
Read-only
| Tool | Description |
|---|
get_download_url | Issues a temporary, single-use URL for downloading binary files from Box. Off by default. |
get_file_content | Returns the content of a file stored in Box. |
get_file_details | Returns detailed file information from Box, including metadata, permissions, and version details. |
get_file_preview | Returns the preview widget for a file stored in Box. |
get_folder_details | Retrieves detailed folder information, including metadata, permissions, and collaboration settings. |
list_folder_content_by_folder_id | Lists files, folders, and web links in a folder (paginated).
Use folder_id “0” for the root folder. id, type, name, and etag are always returned. Optional field: limit. |
Write
| Tool | Description |
|---|
copy_file2 | Copies an existing file to a destination folder in Box. |
copy_folder2 | Copies an existing folder to a destination parent folder in Box. |
create_folder2 | Creates a folder in Box. |
create_metadata_template | Creates an enterprise metadata template. Requires the enterprise scope, display_name, and an optional fields array. |
get_upload_url | Issues a temporary, single-use URL for uploading binary files to Box. Off by default. |
move_file2 | Moves an existing file to a destination folder in Box. The file ID stays the same and parent_folder_id is required. |
move_folder2 | Moves a folder to a new parent in Box. The folder ID stays the same and parent_folder_id is required. |
set_file_metadata2 | Creates or updates (upserts) custom metadata on a file for a template. Use list_metadata_templates and get_metadata_template_schema to find the scope, template_key, and fields. |
set_folder_metadata2 | Creates or updates (upserts) custom metadata on a folder for a template. Use list_metadata_templates and get_metadata_template_schema to find the scope, template_key, and fields. |
update_file_properties2 | Updates file properties, including name, description, tags, and collections. The name can have up to 255 characters, and the file extension is preserved unless you specify otherwise. The description can have up to 256 characters. You can add or update up to 100 tags. |
update_folder_properties2 | Updates folder properties, including name, description, tags, and collections. The name can have up to 255 characters and must not include /, \, ., .., or leading or trailing spaces. The description can have up to 256 characters. You can update up to 100 tags. |
update_metadata_template | Updates a metadata template by scope and template_key using atomic schema operations (for example, addField, editField, and removeField). |
upload_file2 | Uploads a new file to Box. |
upload_file_version2 | Uploads a new file version by providing the entire file contents to update an existing file in Box. |
Search
Locate content and containers using keywords, names, or structured metadata queries with optional filters and scopes.
| Tool | Description |
|---|
get_metadata_template_schema | Returns the schema and field keys for a metadata template. |
list_metadata_templates | Lists available Box metadata templates (enterprise or global). |
search_files_keyword | Searches for files using keywords. Supports metadata filters, file-extension filtering, and field selection. |
search_files_metadata | Searches for files using SQL-like metadata queries. Supports complex filtering with parameters, field selection, and folder scoping. |
search_folders_by_name | Searches for folders in Box by name using keyword matching. |
Collaboration
Enable team collaboration through comments, shared links, and collaboration management tools.
Read-only
| Tool | Description |
|---|
list_file_comments | Lists all comments on a file. |
list_item_collaborations | Lists all existing collaborations on an item. |
list_tasks | Lists all tasks for a file, including status, message, and due dates. |
Write
| Tool | Description |
|---|
add_file_shared_link1 | Creates or updates a shared link for a Box file. Can create open shared links or add collaborators from outside your organization. Off by default. |
add_folder_shared_link1 | Creates or updates a shared link for a Box folder. Can create open shared links or add collaborators from outside your organization. Off by default. |
create_collaboration1 | Invites a user or group to a file, folder, or hub. Can create open shared links or add collaborators from outside your organization. Off by default. |
create_file_comment2 | Creates a comment on a file. |
update_collaboration1 | Updates a file, folder, or hub collaboration. Can create open shared links or add collaborators from outside your organization. Off by default. |
Box AI
Use AI-powered tools to ask questions, extract insights, and analyze content across files and hubs.
| Tool | Description |
|---|
ai_extract_freeform | Extracts metadata from files using Box AI with natural-language prompts (no fixed template).
Text representation up to 1 MB. Supports documents, PDFs, presentations, and text. Works with one or more file_ids. |
ai_extract_structured | Extracts structured key-value metadata from files using the Box AI Enhanced Extract Agent and custom field definitions. |
ai_extract_structured_from_fields | Extracts structured metadata from files using Box AI and custom field definitions.
Works with one or more files. Field types include string, date, float, enum, and multiSelect. |
ai_extract_structured_from_fields_enhanced | Extracts structured metadata from files using the Box AI Enhanced Extract Agent and custom field definitions.
Use only when the user asks for the Enhanced Extract Agent. This tool costs more than the standard Box AI Extract tools. Field types include string, date, float, enum, and multiSelect. |
ai_extract_structured_from_metadata_template | Extracts structured metadata from files using an existing Box metadata template.
Requires template_key and scope (for example, enterprise or global).
Processes the text representation of file content. |
ai_extract_structured_from_metadata_template_enhanced | Extracts structured metadata from files using an existing Box metadata template and the Enhanced Extract Agent.
Use only when the user asks for the Enhanced Extract Agent. This tool costs more than the standard Box AI Extract tools. |
ai_qa_hub | Asks a question about a Box hub and returns an answer based on the hub’s content, with citations when available. |
ai_qa_multi_file | Asks a question about multiple files using Box AI, with citations when available. |
ai_qa_single_file | Asks a question about a single file using Box AI, with citations when available.
Text representation up to 1 MB. If the file is larger, only the first 1 MB is processed. |
Hubs
Create and manage Box Hubs for organizing collaborative content and resources around specific topics or projects.
Read-only
| Tool | Description |
|---|
get_hub_details | Retrieves detailed information about a specific hub. |
get_hub_items | Gets items (files and folders) associated with a specific hub. |
list_hubs | Lists all hubs that the authenticated user can access. |
Write
| Tool | Description |
|---|
add_items_to_hub2 | Adds files, folders, or web links to a hub. |
copy_hub2 | Creates a copy of an existing hub, including its structure and settings. The original hub is not modified. The new title can have up to 50 characters; if you do not provide one, a default title is used. |
create_hub | Creates a hub. |
update_hub2 | Updates the title and description of a hub. |
Doc Gen
Automate document generation by using templates with placeholder tags to create custom documents at scale.
Read-only
| Tool | Description |
|---|
get_docgen_template_by_id | Retrieves details about a Doc Gen template. |
list_docgen_templates | Lists all Box Doc Gen templates that the authenticated user can access. |
Write
| Tool | Description |
|---|
create_docgen_batch | Generates documents from a Doc Gen template by filling placeholder tags with provided data. |
create_docgen_template | Marks a Box file (.docx or .pptx) as a Doc Gen template for automated document generation. |
Feedback
To share feedback or ask questions about the Box MCP server, visit the Box AI API thread in the Box Developer Community forum.
1 Claude only, coming to other clients soon.
2 Only works on items that meet all of the following:
- No external collaborators on the item itself
- No shared link on the item itself
- No external collaborators or shared links on any parent folder, up to the root
